International Analysis

‘SQUAD’: Philippines Leads Allies Amid China Pressure—Will Trump Join First Leaders’ Summit?

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The Philippines is moving toward deeper security coordination with the US, Japan and Australia as it prepares to host a possible first-ever leaders’ meeting of the “Squad." The potential talks come as Manila has tracked China’s Liaoning carrier group near Mindanao and is pushing back against Beijing’s attempts to portray Philippine resupply missions at Second Thomas Shoal as occuring with China's “permission.” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has also warned that any attempt to tow or forcibly board the BRP Sierra Madre could constitute an act of war. At the same time, China is intensifying its historical and political messaging over Taiwan, including new efforts to recast “Retrocession Day” as proof of Beijing's sovereignty. In this episode, we examine whether the Squad is becoming a more formal deterrence framework, how Manila can defend its position at sea, and whether China is using the same narrative playbook against both the Philippines and Taiwan. *Recorded on October 27, 2026 at 11am Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Planner: Miguel Yang Videographer: Celest Kao Our guests: Tony Hu - Former US Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Renato Cruz de Castro - De La Salle University Department of International Studies Distinguished Professor